Weather – The weather today
foretells the weather of September.
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“At Antioch, in the reign of
Diocletian and Maximian, the birthday of the Saints Julian, martyr, and
Basilessa, his virgin wife. Having
lived in a state of virginity with her husband, she reached the end of her days
in peace. But after the death by
fire of a multitude of priests and ministers of the Church of Christ, who had
taken refuge in his house from the severity of the persecution, Julian was
ordered by the president Marcian to be tormented in many way and executed. With him suffered Anthony, a priest,
and Anastasius, whom Julian raised from the dead, and made partaker of the
grace of Christ; also, Celsus, a boy, with his mother Marcionilla, seven
brothers, and many others.”
Today we honor Saint Julian
and his wife Saint Basilissa, patrons of hospitals.
Julian was the son of noble
parents of Antinoe, in Egypt. They
wished him to marry, but he, preferring to devote himself to a religious life,
was unwilling to consider the idea until Christ appeared in a vision and told
him that he and his wife would live chastely together as brother and sister,
and finally enter Heaven as virgins. Upon this promise, Julian married Basilissa, a maiden noted
for her piety, and enjoyed, on their wedding night, visions of their names
written in the Book of Life. With
their considerable revenues, they turned their house into a hospital and devoted
themselves to the relief of the poor and sick. For this, Julian is called the Hospitalarian or Hospitator (It.
Giuliano Ospitale; Fr. Julien le Hospitaller).
Basilissa died peacefully in
her bed, but Julian gained the crown of martyrdom in the persecutions of
Diocletian (early 4th century) with Marcianilla, a lay-woman, and
her young son, Celsus; the priest, Antony; and Anastasius, a convert.
Julian is often confused
with another Julian, called “The Poor”, whose legend relates that he
unknowingly killed his parents and in penance built a hospice for travelers and
himself ferried pilgrims across the nearby river.
In honor of Julian and
Basilissa, do something for a local hospital or nursing home. Volunteer once a week to play checkers
at the veteran’s home. Knit small
caps for newborns, or make blankets or quilts to cheer up the children in
hospital. Our church makes prayer
shawls, which Father blesses and takes to nursing homes in the parish, with a
reminder that the parish is praying for the recipients. Donate books or movies. Volunteer to run the library. There are lots of opportunities to show
the same love of God that Julian and Basilissa showed in their lives.
Artwork:
“Saints Julian and
Basilissa”, from John Gilmary Shea, Pictorial
Lives of the Saints (1889), p. 41.
